The District’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 is barely underway, but it’s a good time to think about your goals for the DC budget for FY 2018 – and the DC Fiscal Policy Institute wants to help. Like you, we care a lot about the District’s investment in schools, housing, health care, job training, homeless services, and more, and we have a lot of resources to help ensure that next year’s budget reflects your priorities.
DCFPI’s Budget Primer offers practical advice on the budget process and tips on how to get involved. The primer was just updated and provides a detailed description of the budget season calendar, highlighting opportunities for advocacy along the way, as well as a handy one-pager with the most important pieces. The primer also helps you understand DC’s budget documents, the key terms, and the major actors involved in shaping the budget.
DCFPI’s just-completed analysis of the FY 2017 budget (the current budget) details the District’s current investment in education, human services, public safety and more. It also highlights things that will affect the upcoming budget. Most important, our review describes how automatic tax-cut triggers could make it hard to meet the needs of a growing city and the many residents who struggle with high costs of housing, transportation, and child care.
And DCFPI staff are ready and excited to do a DCFPI Budget 101 presentation with your group to help plan your budget advocacy. In just the last week, we met with three different groups to talk budget. Would you like to be next? Please reach out to me (lazere@dcfpi.org) or any other staff member if you’re interested.
